Thursday, March 09, 2006

Try Something New!

Posted by
Chalene Johnson

Two years ago Bret and I took the kids skiiing for the first time. It was wonderful. Brock, at the time 7 picked it up immediately. Cierra, then 4, just wasn't that into it. I had flashbacks of my parents teaching me and my sister and brother to ski like 30 years ago. It's wierd when you hear things coming out of your mouth that were placed there by your parents. Words that as they come out of your mouth you can't help but slap your hands over your mouth and shriek, "HELP! I am becoming my parents!" The only negative part of that ski trip was the realization that skiing was no longer cool. I'm not sure when it happened. I'm not sure how it happened, but apprently someone forgot to send me the memo. The last time I had been skiing before our trip two years ago, I had recalled enjoying this kind of snobbish superiorism over snowboarders. I thought we had ALL agreed that skiing was cool and that those snowboarders were a nuisance, a fad that would surely die out! Hadn't we decided that they were skate boarding punks? Goofy kids? Well, apparently when you let a decade slip by, things change. My first tip should have been watching the winter Olypmics this year. Dang it. There I was in the chairlift line with my tight ski pants, short cropped ski jacket and, of course, my skis from 1995 and it was painfully clear that I was, "gulp" .......no longer.....no longer... cool. How did this happen? I pride myself on knowing what's "hot" and what's "not".

So this year I was not going to let that happen again. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. So with baggy pants, huge jacket and Volcom cap in place, I signed up for a lesson in "cool". In less than an hour, my 19 year old punk rock/boarding school instructor had me up on the bunny hill strapped into a Burton Snow Board and Cool! Cool! Cool! Cool again! I'm back! And MAN was it fun! Just as "Shawn" my mohawk wearing instructor promised, I'm not sure if I'll ever go back. What seemed so scary, what had me fearful of failure, that which had me worried I might crack my skull open, was so much more fun than I could have ever imagined.

Granted, in two days, I only left the bunny hill for about 30 minutes, but this 37 year old Mom got her groove back on that slowly sloped mini mountain, as I prefer to refer to it. Oh, sure, I might originally have been motivated purly by the snowboading fashion and my fear of being identified as having enjoyed my hay-day in the 80's, and I'm not afraid to admit it. And sure, I might not be ready for the fast moving chairs yet. And perhaps you might argue I should act my age, but life is too short not to take a few risks! The fact of the matter is I tried something different, something scary, something that took me completely out of my comfort zone and it felt great! Snowboarding Rocks! (I'm sure you can tell how furiously fast I'm moving! All three year old snow plowers have been carefully cropped out of this photo)

So try something new. Try something that people wouldn't expect of you! Aside from feeling like I've been run over by a frieght train, I feel like a million bucks!

23 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I just got back from doing the exact same thing Cha-Cha! I too was wondering when my cool skis were now considered a symbol of dorkness.Snowboarding is like doing major squats all day long - O U C H!Way to spread the butter! Now you can consider yourself "totally DOPE" (as my instructor said to me)xx Moe

Snowboarding is awesome. I started in 1999 (when everyone up here, in New England, thought snowboarders were a nuisance) a friend of mine, a former skier, convinced me it would be fun. I was deathly scared I would crack my scull, but found I loved it, yes even all the falling on my behind. Nothing like having a bruised butt for a week or two :)In 2003 I was in 2 car accidents within a week of each other so I wasn't able to snowboard for a while, bad back and drs orders (maybe that is how I put on all this weight) anyway, this year I have started my turbo jam and I actually got back on the mountain (I took a lesson to freshen up of course) and I had a blast---what a rush, what a thrill. I'm back and can't wait until my next snowboarding trip!

I'm so happy you liked it Chalene, maybe some day we will meet on the slopes :-)

Whooo! ummmm....when it become uncool to wear a sprakly Michael Jackson glove??? shoot - better get rid of mine! How about the jacket with all the zippers? is that still cool? oh I sure hope so cuz I'm wearing mine now!

oh oh oh what about leg warmers? still cool right? whew!

okay Chalene great post girl. It's hard trying new things but it's fun after it's all said & done! way to go trying snowboarding girl....I've never even been skiing! yikes!!! oh well maybe one day!

Hi Chalene! just saw the tv ad for the new Turbo Jam and started researching who you were and what you were all about. I really like what I see and what I read and I especially like the type of workouts you put together. Also, reading your blog is inspiring and seeing how young you look and feel is extremely motivating. I'm one of those people who quit a workout routine two days after trying it, so my fitness level isn't all that stellar. I'm going to give your routing a try.

You and your family are beautiful and your ski trip looked like a bunch of fun! Keep up the good work...

CJ, you'd look cool riding an inner tube. Older guys, like myself(56), should not attempt to snowboard. If we do, the (way cool)kids refer to us as, "grays on trays". Our coolness, it seems, should be a bit more refined.Still, skiiers can rock. Keyword search "Glen Plake" and take in that 'hawk. Tell me he wouldn't fit right into our Tuesday TurboKick class. We'll squeeze him in between two really cool ski dudes, me and Brett.PS: The Piyo warrior stances are excellent for conditioning the quads and quads are essential to skiers and boarders at all degrees of coolness.

Glad to see ya finally joined the "dark side" Chalene! Didn't you just LOVE not clomping around in those ridiculous stiff boots anymore??? HA! You'll love it more and more! Loved your jacket by the way! Loves,~JD

Hi, I am new to turbo jam. I work at night 12pm to 7 am. My eating habits sucks. I am a diabetic also. I need help with the eating. I not sure when to eat to follow your turbo slim kick off. Being that I work at night I can't make most of the meals.

Chalene! Just got my new set of videos (very sore after 8 TURBOS!!!!) and saw your "Cribs" skit. MUST have, like right now, my very own Turbo Girl decal for my Tahoe. Plus a few for my friends that I have turned on to jammin as well. PLEASE tell me how to get some!! Thanks, Lisa VanceA new and devoted jammerPLBPVance@insightbb.com

Let me just say I will never act my age. Instead of wearing a purple or red hat and going out for tea....when I'm 60, I will still be boarding. I learned how to use the words "tite" and "sic" in the same sentence and I got a litte street credibility with my kids friends. And yes Chalene, I'm linking my turns baby!Besides, boarding clothes are WAY TOO CUTE!!!!

Chalene- HI!!I just have to thank you. I bought Turbo Jam a couple weeks ago, and in the time it took to get to me I had already convinced myself that it would join my other workout videos in the corner gathering dust. When I opened the box and saw the 10 day jump start plan I knew it would change my life. I am only on day 5 of the 10 day jump start plan, but I am having the most fun with a workout that I have ever had in my life. I can feel my muscles and the soreness tells me that I am doing something good for my body. Ive also changed the way I eat and have been using your recipes and meal plan and I absolutely love it. I already feel like a new person! I can't wait to see what the future of Turbo Jam will bring to me. You are truly my inspiration, and thank you for helping me change my life. Im off to forge a new destiny!

My 5 year old started snowboarding in our backyard. It scares me a bit, but being a library science student, I volunteer at the elementary school's library in my town. As I was shelving books, I came across a COOL book about snowboarding; this librarian knows what her patrons like. I took it out and have been reading a chapter a night to my son. The history of snowboarding is quite interesting--started when a guy screw two regular skis together and attached bands to the front to hold on to. So my son and I are learning lots of stuff about the history and shakers of snowboarding. He'll probably be taking real lessons next year and I bet I will too. I always loved doing things like windsurfing. The Michael Jackson stuff reminded me of an article in my local paper today about how Tom Cruise has become the new Jacko. How interesting life is.

Chalene, I think you make anything you do absolutely cool. I don't know where you came from but you are truly a role molel for all. You make me feel like its ok to find my inner me and be thankful and happy for all of my very own "isms" if you follow. Keep up the good work. Never stop being original.

CHALENE I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR TURBO JAM PROGRAM IS SO AWESOME! I HAVE BEEN WORKING OUT SINCE JANUARY BUT I DIDN'T REALLY ENJOY IT UNTIL I BOUGHT YOUR PROGRAM. NOW I USE IT EVERYDAY AND I FEEL GREAT AND LOOK GREAT! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Hi Chalene....my name is "charlene" as well :)Your turbo jam workout is so fabulous! I love the workouts they're so much fun!After I had my baby the weight wasn't going away, I tried doing some exercise but nothing was working, and I wasn't seeing any results. Until I bought Turbo Jam!I can't believe the amount of weight just melted off, it's just amazing. I feel great...I still wanna tone up my abs a little more though. Lately I've felt as though I've reached a plateau, what should I do? I still watch my diet, should I workout more and harder?